The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for cancer screening and, in particular, to systems and methods for using the wrinkle patterns on thin membranes to determine whether cancer cells are present in a biological sample.
A variety of methods are used clinically to diagnose cancer in a patient. As a non-limiting example, in the United States, bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer, with an estimated 72,570 new cases in 2013 [1]. Current diagnostic strategies include cystoscopy, the visual inspection of bladder lumen with an endoscope, and urine cytology, the microscopic inspection of cellular morphology derived from urine samples [1]. Cystoscopy is invasive and may not be able to differentiate between malignant and benign tumors [1]. Urine cytology, while non-invasive, has poor sensitivity and requires complex sample preparation and an experienced cytopathologist to interpret the results. Other non-invasive techniques include detection of cancer biomarkers in urine samples. Such methods are not always reliable, in that they depend on the number of cancerous cells present in the urine sample [2].
Therefore, given the above, there is a need for improved and simplified methods for screening for the presence of cancer in a patient.